How Mail Can Make Your Black Friday Event

Are you planning an upcoming Black Friday promotion? If so, you’re in good company. Across the UK, swathes of businesses are looking to claim their piece of an increasingly lucrative pie. With competition fierce, it’s never been more important to stand out from the crowd. Could mail be the answer?

Black Friday is mainly an American thing, right?

Originally an American staple, Black Friday made its way across the Atlantic way back in 2010. Since then, the annual revenues generated by Black Friday sales have continued to grow in the UK. In keeping with tradition, Black Friday falls on the first Friday following Thanksgiving, the 29th November.

Online sales are expected to grow again this year after record-breaking revenue in 2018 - 21.5% of total retail revenue, breaking the 20% margin for the first time.

Brick and mortar locations can also expect a steep rise in footfall as we approach November 29th. However, we may well have seen the last of scenes like these...

...but that’s probably for the best.

Year on year, Black Friday has grown in prominence and expanded in scope. According to eMarketer, many customers now start holiday shopping or researching as early as October. Businesses are wise to this early bird offer seeking, with many starting, or at least teasing promotions, well in advance of the main event.

Making an impact

So with all this growing focus, how can your business hope to make an impression and cut through the Black Friday furore?

While most businesses will likely reach for the digital marketing options by default, there are clear benefits to adding physical direct mail into the mix. Whether you’re pushing eCommerce or a traditional shop, direct mail can help get clicks on-site and feet through the door.

In-store

If you’re hosting an in-store Black Friday event, direct mail can be a great way to get the word out. Use your data to target recipients within a set radius of your location and deliver a personalised invite they can’t ignore. Track the impact of the campaign using coupons that can be redeemed in-store.

Online

As we’ve previously explored, there is an interesting relationship between eCommerce and mail – with a startling 92% of people stating being driven to online activity after receiving physical mail*. Black Friday is a perfect opportunity to exploit this relationship and drive greater traffic to your eCommerce site. Cut through pay per click noise and email chatter with a personalised mail piece that lands on customers’ doorsteps. The key word in that sentence? Personalised.

Personalise that promotion

For marketers and consumers alike, personalisation makes a huge impact.

89% of marketers reported that using personalisation increased revenue. What’s more, 63% of shoppers expect personalised experiences from brands.**

Use your mailing list data to create bespoke experiences for shoppers. Whether it’s a simple salutation using their name, a unique offer based on purchase history or custom images based on demographics, use data to tailor the experience to each customer.

Direct mail provides the perfect opportunity to cut through the Black Friday noise and speak to customers one on one this holiday season.